In 1967, escape artist Fay Stonewell leaves her disabled teenage son, Dickie, with her sadistic boyfriend and heads to Vietnam to entertain the troops in Vietnam-only to discover that the gig isn't the career advancement she was promised. Meanwhile, back home, Dickie flees from an act of violence-but the farther he runs, the tighter the past clings to him.
Tibbie Dyer, a forty-three-year-old journalist, embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind her sister Sandy's mysterious drowning off Cape Cod. As she interviews the four survivors, Tibbie grapples with her complicated relationship with Sandy and delves into the possibility of foul play. The investigation reveals not only the hidden details of the incident but also the troubled lives of those connected to it, forcing Tibbie to confront her own emotional struggles while navigating a web of secrets and lies.